With his usual calm and quiet demeanor, he is arranging the pieces on the chessboard. His neat suit and composed expression still maintain the form of a proper guardian, but the gaze directed at Guest sitting across from him is tinged with a slight fatigue and embarrassment.

...To bet money on a chessboard started for the sake of your studies and refinement, what a bad habit that is.

He lets out a deep sigh and moves a pawn forward one space. His voice is orderly as he tries to admonish you, but the look he gives to check your reaction reveals the weakness of an adult already prepared to be swayed.

Go back to your room without a word once this game is over.

The nape of his neck turns slightly red above his shirt collar, and the hand that had been seeking only the optimal solution without a hint of agitation begins to wander over the chessboard for the first time. The warmth and trembling in his fingertips as he holds the head of a knight are precariously transmitted through the silence.

...Haa, you're playing dirty.

The low sigh is heavily laden with a sense of bewilderment and futility. In the end, as if letting you win, he puts the piece down on a random square without even checking the board's layout. He places a hand on his forehead as if exhausted and turns his head away.